Bound By the Ice
by DreamingofFreedom
Summary: She was the Ultimate Ice Skater. He was the self-proclaimed Supreme Overlord of Ice. Truly, they had nothing else in common, so why did they get along so well? (A collection of one-shots with varied ratings)
1. Chapter 1

It took a long time to begin to fully comprehend Gundham Tanaka and his eloquent pattern of speech. It took months to completely gain his trust enough for him to even consider the idea of becoming an ally with her. It took a year for Sapphire, the ultimate ice skater, to eventually realize that she was infatuated with the self-proclaimed dark prince, but felt as though her chances of ever being with him were slim to none since she never seemed to have his feelings reciprocated. Gundham wasn't one to express feelings anyway, especially with people. Animals were the only living creatures that would have a chance at seeing his affectionate side unleashed, but there were times when Sapphire got to witness such adorable moments, beaming when he would allow her to help care for his beasts of darkness.

He was a matchless man, that much was obvious in his acts and words of unknown wisdom, but he wasn't as malicious as he loved to claim. Citizens always gave him strange looks, unwilling to try and understand him, but Sapphire had been intrigued by him from the first time saw him at the pond hidden in the forest. As she gazed into a mirror while fixing her hair, she reminisced about their first meetings.

She recognized him as a student from Hope's Peak, his ultimate talent known for breeding, but she knew not his true name. It was only a brief sighting, he was quick to disappear in the dense trees before she could ask his name, but she had seen a gentle smile on his face as he admired a hawk perched on his arm.

The second time she saw him in the same place, he had been feeding four adorable hamsters perched on his knees and shoulders. Her shyness had taken over her when the largest hamster eyed her and squeaked in alarm, turning all their attention to her. His eyes were fierce as he glared at her invasion. All she could manage was a single wave before darting away out of sheer embarrassment.

The third time was even more humiliating. She was racing through the forest in a bathing suit with intention to go swim in the lake when she crashed into him full force upon racing around the largest tree of the woodland. Her luck was horrendous, though she was aware it wasn't as bad as what the ultimate lucky student of Hope's Peak sometimes had to deal with. She also blamed her misfortune on her long bangs that shadowed her right eye, always telling herself she needed to cut them lest they hinder her vision. Still, the moment Sapphire pushed herself up from his chest, she was all too aware of the angry squeaking from the hamsters sitting around his head as he stared at her with a horrified expression of sheer malevolence and mortification. No matter how many times she apologized, Sapphire could only pray she would never encounter him again as she scrambled off and fled the area entirely.

Indeed, they didn't run into each other for many months until the snow began to sprinkle down from the skies, covering the land in a beautiful blanket of pure white. With the change of seasons, Sapphire had changed her hair from shoulder length to a pixie cut, though she failed to change her bangs yet again keeping them swept over her eye.

The lake would freeze over every winter, becoming her beloved habitation to practice her ice skating when she had free time. Sapphire would practice until she swore her feet were going to fall off, or until she had fallen too many times to count, scraping herself up and sometimes tearing her costume dress and tights. Her thoughts frequently drifted to her extraordinary confrontations with the pale-skinned male each time she returned to the lake, wondering if they would ever meet again by some chance. Paradoxically enough, chance was on her side only a few days later.

She had been skating when she heard whimpers from an animal; a fox with a broken and bloodied front paw stumbling over the ice. The poor creature was terrified and hungry based on its skinny frame, and though she was always told to avoid wild animals as a child, Sapphire couldn't bear to watch it suffer. It bit at her, yelping in terror and losing its balance more than once when she finally lowered herself to its level shushing it gently as she reached out for it slowly. The fox's beady eyes watched her cautiously, flinching as her fingers danced over its thick coat, but not retaliating. She had managed to guide it to the edge of the lake when _he_ appeared like a ghost from the snow-covered forest. His heterochromatic eyes briefly looked at her blue ones distrustfully before he leaned over and lifted the fox carefully in his arms.

Where the fox probably would have bit her if she had tried such an action, the small beast's tail began to wag in his presence as if it recognized him. He was gentle with it, stroking its fur as he looked over the broken leg.

"Oh, cunning beast of the forest, what misfortune has fallen upon you this time?" He asked the creature. "You fail to heed my warnings yet again I see, bounding into the hazardous jaws of metal set by the fiends who long to capture your warmth. Was the cause of maltreatment performed by the hand this wicked woman of the ice?"

Sapphire shuddered at the glare he shot her, but found herself tongue-tied in his presence. He appeared to have a flash of recognition the longer he observed her, a mild frown creasing his lips along with a pale blush, clearly remembering their last unfortunate meeting. Her change in hair style must have thrown him off since he did not initially distinguish her. A few whimpers from the fox caught his attention, however, and he disregarded her quickly.

"So, it was not her?" He commented briskly, appearing to address the fox more than anything else. "Very well, I shall allow her to live. Come, let us return to our den so you can be treated."

She never got a word in before he stalked way yet again, but now she dared to hope that they would meet again so she could at least introduce herself, watching his long purple scarf sway in the chilled breeze before it faded from view. Sapphire didn't wish to maintain the awkward air between them despite barely knowing the other.

Luckily, he returned a few days later with the same fox, its paw wrapped with bandages, eyes glowing with gratitude as it pranced around the silent male. He acknowledged the skater briefly as she slid to the bank upon recognizing the two, the fox stopping in its tracks and tilting its head at her.

"Um, hello." Sapphire tried to introduce herself, taking careful steps forward so she would fall over her skates. "I was hoping- "

"You who dance on the ice," The withdrawn male spoke up, interrupting her. "Stop right there, and tell me your true name."

She blinked, pausing at the edge of the snow on his brash request, "My… true name? Well… my name is Sapphire Shimizu."

"The precious and rare gem that represents wisdom, royalty, Divine favor…" His eyes narrowed on her analytically, widening suddenly. "The very shade of your eyes! A name inspired by them, perhaps! So, you mean to tell me… that the Gods favor your presence, and recognize you as the wise Queen of the Ice? Unfathomable!"

Sapphire didn't get what he was saying if she had to be honest at the time, so his words required a moment of thought before she forced herself to speak so he couldn't leave without her knowing his name at least.

"Well… what's your true name?" She asked, hoping it wasn't considered a mockery to use his unique sentence structures.

In response, he began to chuckle, a smirk on his countenance, "You would like to know _my_ true name? I welcome your courage, fiendish woman. Very well, I shall speak it only once, so listen well and do not forget it for as long as you live! I am the Supreme Overlord of Ice, Gundham Tanaka, served by the Four Dark Devas of Destruction!"

At his introduction, the four hamsters that Sapphire had seen before crawled from his scarf as if they knew they too would be presented. They briefly appeared to pose, a prideful air about each of them, before they returned to the respected places, chilled by the cold air.

"Pleased to finally meet you." Sapphire smiled, earning a disgruntled look from the ultimate breeder.

"Th-there is no pleasure in meeting the offspring of an angel and a devil!" He retaliated. "It won't be long before your sanity disintegrates in my terrifying presence!"

Sapphire didn't mean to giggle at him, but it crushed his entire demeanor, "You foul human! Do you not understand fear!?"

"I… do, but you're not scary." She admitted.

Gundham appeared even more shattered, mouth agape with disbelief. It didn't seem as if he would be able to speak for a while from her piercing words, but she found nothing wrong in them. She only continued to smile at him until he chose to leave, defeated. Sapphire was beyond certain it would not be the only time they would have conversation though.

She looked forward to each and every one to come.


	2. Even A Queen Can Mess Up

Maintaining conversations with Gundham could be challenging sometimes. Even after knowing him for over a year, Sapphire sometimes struggled to keep up with him. She didn't mind the long periods of silence between them, but she always wanted to know _more_ about him. He was always reserved with details of his past and careful with what he disclosed to her. When it came to breeding or anything about animals, he was vivid in his descriptions. Sapphire officially knew more about hamsters than she ever thought she needed to know. She knew how territorial they were, what they preferred to eat, how intelligent they were, how to measure their stress levels, the different shades of fur they could have… It interested her because it fascinated him, and it enabled her to help with the Four Dark Devas of Destruction every so often, but she truly wanted to know Gundham more than anything.

From what he had told her so far, he was under the belief that poison flowed through his veins all due to his wonderful mothers' poor cooking ability. Anyone who would touch him would certainly wither away and die according to him, but she proved that wrong through sneak attacks with her prodding fingers. He never did appreciate it; it startled the crap out of him for one, then he would proceed to expectantly wait for her to disintegrate. She usually laughed at his reaction despite his irritation, but he eventually came to believe that she had astronomical power that enabled her to do so. He pitied domesticated animals like cows; refusing to gain an attachment to an animal that was unfortunately destined for slaughter. Then the one thing that always had Sapphire doubtful and mildly concerned was his insisting claims of once he lost the one he loved, his final days ordained to have demons devour him alive. She would only shake her head, staring at him in silence.

Gundham always claimed malevolence to himself, seemingly proud of it as well, but Sapphire knew. She gave up on insisting the good in him months ago, he always fought back defiantly, calling her foolish to believe so. Still, she _knew_.

How could she not? The way he adored every animal, every creature large and small, showed a docile side to him that was far from wicked. He was protective of them, and proud of each one each time they did something praiseworthy. He cared for them meticulously, even called them sweet nicknames occasionally. No, Gundham Tanaka was not a bad person. She saw it through the friends that he enjoyed being around even if he didn't exactly admit it.

They hung out at least a few times a week, always encountering each other in the forest by the lake. Sapphire wasn't hard to find if it was winter, and she enjoyed being out and away from home as much as she could. Needless to say, her father was overbearing, and her mother was gone entirely, lost to illness when she was young. Ice skating was her way out of the grief she dealt with for the longest time. Otherwise, she didn't feel like an incredibly unique woman by any means. She was simply skilled at skating, and excelled at it naturally. Sometimes Gundham would watch her; he fondly called her the Queen of Ice after some reluctance. She assumed it was because he called himself the Supreme Overlord of Ice, and such a name had its mild suggestions in his presence.

He had decided to watch her practice on a cold winter night, scarf past his nose as he silently viewed her every spin and twirl. The Four Dark Devas of Destruction slumbered within his jacket as usual, accepting of Sapphire after her presence was rather consistent. They followed Gundham everywhere as it was, and were surprisingly friendlier than he credited them to be sometimes. He rested on the snowy bank, a wolf offering him company and warmth from the cold as he waited for the ultimate ice skater to finish her performance. Initially, he had wholly believed she was attempting to summon forth demons with her dance on the ice. Her incredulous laughter made him feel hopelessly impractical for a long time, though he continued to hold onto the belief intensely. Luckily for Sapphire, he grew to appreciate her ice skating instead of seeing it as some demonic ritual summoning.

He didn't usually comment on them, or applaud like her friends would after she finished. Instead, he would often nod at her in approval, a brief smile on his lips from what she could tell through his large scarf before he would turn away to hide the fact. He could be so sweet sometimes, even if he wouldn't openly admit it.

The reason he was watching her as well, was because he promised to after she had accidently mentioned wishing she could have company sometimes during her nature practices. He had no reluctance offering his services to attend her practices when he could, earning a blush and a load of gratitude from the shy girl. At first, she was nervous to have him stare at her so intensely, but over the months, she found herself looking forward to performing in his presence.

But even she messed up sometimes, crashing on the ice and sliding onto the bank miserably. Gundham would always check up on her, and she would insist her well-being until he praised her failed attempts like he was trying to train a puppy who was failing to learn how to sit despite its best endeavors, and would allow her to continue. She treasured his efforts to cheer her up every time.

On one of those nights, however, she messed up critically.

A triple axel jump went horribly wrong the second she started it and she landed poorly, twisting her ankle to a point where it hurt to move it. She remembered shouting in pain the instant she landed, falling over onto her back and sliding halfway to the bank near Gundham. He jumped to his feet, the wolf springing up as well with a small startled yap.

"Have you injured yourself?" The ultimate breeder inquired, alarmed by her collapse.

"I… I think I twisted my ankle Gundham." Sapphire admitted somberly. "I don't think I can move my foot…"

She was a few feet away from him, just out of reach, but he was a quick and intelligent thinker. His scarf was removed, an article of clothing Sapphire never saw disconnected from him, as he offered one end to the wolf at his side who grabbed the cloth in its teeth and set its paws firmly to the ground. He stepped forward, immediately stumbling over the ice, his arms flailing in panic. The Four Dark Devas were certainly disturbed by all the movement, peering out from his jacket curiously before perching on his shoulders with steadfast squeaks of distress once they realized he was standing over ice.

"I am aware of the predicament I have entered my Four Dark Devas." Gundham stammered, holding his balance as desperately as possible. "The demons of ice could crawl forth from the ninth level of hell at any moment being on this thin layer that separates us… If you wish, crawl over to the fanged beast of the full moon for protection and await my return."

They didn't budge. In fact, they seemed to encourage him forward, their stubby arms pointing at Sapphire repeatedly. He shifted closer, refusing to lift his legs even a little to keep himself from falling. Sapphire tried to slide herself closer to the bank to no avail, stuck in place and forced to wait for the precarious breeder. Over a span of minutes, Gundham was at least two feet away from her when he tossed the other end of his scarf to her. She grabbed the purple cloth tightly, nodding when she was ready. With a single glance back, Gundham gave the wolf a nod of approval, and the beast slowly walked backwards, pulling the two back onto the land with support from the Four Dark Devas chanting squeaks.

Now safe, Gundham sighed immensely with relief before helping Sapphire back onto her feet. She wobbled on her non-injured one, testing her pain tolerance by occasionally setting her other foot down, only to grimace each time. When she nearly fell over, Gundham latched onto her arm.

"How embarrassing…" Sapphire moaned. "The broadcasted ultimate ice skater has twisted her ankle from a spin that should have been as easy as any other. I'll never hear the end of this from my father now…"

She noticed Jum-P, the grey and white Deva of Destruction, and Maga-Z, the Deva of Destruction with a chipped ear, crawl across the bridge that was her and Gundham's arm, settling on her shoulders as they looked over her. She smiled at the small creatures, touched when they nuzzled her neck gently. Even the wolf approached her, sniffing at her ankle before swiping its tongue over the skates that covered it.

"The Four Dark Devas and fanged Cerberus are concerned about you." Gundham commented, beginning to wrap his scarf around his neck once more. "Do you require assistance with your wound?"

"I-I'm sure I'll be-" Sapphire attempted to hobble away, only to lose her balance on a stray patch of ice. She would have fallen if Gundham wasn't already gripping her arm as tightly as he was.

"Take caution Queen of the Ice!" He reprimanded. "I'll not allow you to fall and potentially injure my devas!"

While he stated his concern for his precious animals, Sapphire understood he was anxious about her as well. He just wasn't going to admit it by any means as usual.

"S-sorry," She meekly apologized. "I don't wish to be a burden."

Gundham fell silent, his heterochromatic eyes impossible to read. San-D chittered in his ear a few times and Sapphire didn't miss the rising blush on his cheeks suddenly as he shot the hamster a stupefied glare. Cham-P seemed to laugh, his large body shaking in delight before he crawled into Gundham's scarf. He stood there, steaming for a few long moments, frowning deeply as he seemed to contemplate whatever he had been told. The ultimate breeder suddenly released her arm, turning away from her before kneeling to the ground.

"Gundham?" Sapphire wasn't sure what he was trying to do, or what he had been told by San-D, but it clearly had him humiliated in some way. "Are you – "

"You have a short allotted time to perch yourself on my back." He hastily grumbled.

 _Oh_.

Sapphire nervously leaned forward, setting her hands on his tense shoulders and guiding herself closer to his back with small hops. He hooked his arms around her legs once she was close enough and lifted her up so fast that she yelped in terror, tightly wrapping her arms around his neck. Gundham stumbled for a moment, grunting for air when she held him too tight around his throat, but soon they were both situated well enough for him to confidently march forward. He didn't speak a word, not even when San-D, Maga-Z, and Jum-P began to chirp with amusement from their shoulders. The wolf pranced around them, tail wagging and tongue hanging as if it was approving their situation.

Sapphire only rested her head against his bundled scarf, accepting the taciturnity between them. She could feel the heat of mortification radiate from his skin, warming his clothing up intensely, his body tense the entire time. Her heart felt warm with appreciation from what he was doing for her, eyes closing as she inhaled his scent.

Of course, he basically smelled like a barn, but it wasn't a bad smell by any means. It was like the scent of freshly cut grass, of bundled hay neatly stacked on top of others in preparation to feed the vegetarians of the farm. It was… pleasant.

Sapphire smiled against him, taking in the heat he gave off, and slowly drifting into an unexpected slumber as he carried her along the beaten paths of the forest.

 **Author Notes:**

 **HNNNGGHH. Gundham, why you so hard to write sometimes.**

 **Oh well. At least I like you.**


	3. Conquering the Frozen Lake

Gundham refused to budge from the bank side, giving Sapphire a glare of regret and disbelief. Somehow, the cynical woman had convinced him into ice skating with her, and never had he felt more stupid than he did now standing unsteadily on the snowy grounds, eyes burning holes into the ice before him. He only agreed to this because she gave him that _look_. Her crystal blue eyes would shine with pleading and hope, and he simply could not take the pressure from them after knowing her for so long. She had him wrapped around her finger; that pure-hearted she demon queen of ice!

The ice skates covering his feet were too tight for his liking, the demons of Gehenna were surely beckoning to him to dare step foot out on the ice, waiting to break beneath him and drag him to the coldest pits of hell, though he nearly preferred that idea in comparison to this very situation. He was glad he decided to leave his Four Dark Devas of Destruction behind; they didn't deserve such a bitter fate as he did. Besides, this entire charade would stress them to an unhealthy standard. His eyes darted to the cheerful skater as she neared the bank, her smile way too composed for his liking. He hoped his expression was more intimidating than wavering.

"Gundham, it's okay!" Sapphire reassured. "There's nothing to be afraid of."

"Th-that's where you are mistaken!" Gundham stated, cursing at the stammers that escaped him. "I do not feel f-fear. It is an e-emotion I have destroyed long ago!"

Her shoulders shook with lovely laughter, her hands extending to him palms up, "Here, take my hands. I promise I won't let you fall."

Gundham recoiled. He had already bound her to him by contract, extending his powers to yet another mortal that proved worthy of his attention and assistance, but it was always a natural reaction to avoid contact. Her resolve was strong, she knew him well enough to know his mannerisms, and nothing he could have done would have bothered her excessively. With his usual reluctance, Gundham set his hands in hers and slowly moved his feet onto the ice. His hold on her tightened with panic the moment he wobbled on his quivering legs, but Sapphire kept him standing, pulling him further out onto the frozen lake. He nervously stared at the ice beneath him, sweat falling despite the frigid cold.

"Gundham," Sapphire called his name softly, temporarily gaining his attention before he continued glowering at the ice apprehensively. "Don't look at the ice, look at me."

He grumbled, "If my gaze falters from the slumbering demons below, they will surely burst forth and drag us both down into the icy pits…"

"If demons of ice truly wished to take you, wouldn't they have attacked at your most vulnerable when I twisted my ankle two weeks ago?" Sapphire bravely claimed.

"Th-that's…" Gundham fell silent for a moment, and she had reason to believe that he may have conceded defeat if he didn't suddenly laugh. "I see! Perhaps they pitied your injury and recognized the contract that binds us for eternity! They feared death by my cursed hand should they have harmed you, and they distinguish that detail even now! Consider yourself lucky Queen of the Ice, my immortality extends to you and keeps you protected from the foul beings that long to take me!"

Sapphire smiled, "Then, I thank you for your protection."

His scarf would have been pulled up and over his cherry nose if he wasn't gripping her hands so tightly, "Y-you're welcome…"

He was an adorable blusher, even more so when he was looking straight into her eyes simply because he couldn't look away without potentially falling over. She pulled him along, skating backwards slowly for his sake as he gained confidence in his balancing skills. His gaze would drift to the ice occasionally, then to the soft hands that held his before lifting back to her face as he allowed her to guide him around the lake. True to her word, she never let him fall, rather, she kept smiling at him like a giddy child, her eyes sparkling with joy the longer they went. Gundham didn't voice his delight, but the small smile on his face told her everything she needed to know.

At some point, she freed his bandaged hand and skated at his side, enabling him to move on his own somewhat. By the time she released his other hand, he no longer looked beneath him, but in front of him with a sly grin. While he wasn't fast, he seemed jubilant to have defeated the accursed demons of below, and to have triumphed the ice that he laid claim to as an entitlement.

"I am the Supreme Overlord of Ice!" He shouted to the skies, a certain flare about him now that his hesitance was vanquished. "I am the conqueror of twilight, the offspring of an angel and a devil, evil incarnate! I am Gundham Tanaka, and I reign true over this frozen element beneath me!" His glorious laugh reverberated through the open area, dancing through the forest like a shadow haunting the land. He was perfectly satisfied with his minor achievement.

…Until he lost his balance and fell back with a thud.

Sapphire dashed to his side the moment she saw his foot slide from under him, sliding onto her knees to reach his level, "Gundham! Are you okay?"

She searched for any sign of blood. It wasn't uncommon to receive a cut or bust one's head upon falling on the ice. When she found nothing, she sighed with relief. He seemed utterly stupefied, laying there with an unhappy expression as he glared intensely at the night sky. There was a lingering silence between them, until slowly, he turned his head to look at the wide-eyed female, and simply said, "I fell."

Sapphire fell into boundless merriment, laughing so intensely that her sides began to hurt. She had no idea why she found his statement so hilarious, and she was well aware of the increasing look of disapproval on the ultimate breeders' face, but she could not stop. Her body tumbled over in her fit and she laid at Gundham's side, clutching her waist as she spouted her giggles and snorts.

Gundham stared at her, wondering if she was possessed by the god of mischief, Loki. He didn't think what he said was even remotely funny, but there she was, quaking on the cold ground as her body rumbled with her sweet laughter. Normally, he would have been infuriated to be laughed at in such a manner, but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to feel any sense of annoyance towards her. She started to apologize between her snickers, wiping at tears in her eyes as she calmed down bit by bit. Here and there, he heard her stifle a chuckle, replaced by her clearing her throat or coughing in a poor attempt to mask it.

Soon, they were cloaked in silence, both laying on their backs as they stared up at the sky. The stars were particularly bright that night; a scene Gundham would have enjoyed by himself if Sapphire wasn't inches away from him.

Oddly enough, he found himself appreciating the moment a little more now that someone was there to experience it with. Gundham paused at his thoughts, lips thinning with incredulity. Did he… really think about how he appreciated Sapphire's company? How unusual indeed… The only explanation was a curse put upon him at some point without him noticing.

The Queen of the Ice had somehow outsmarted him. Him!

 _Unacceptable_.


	4. Her Guardian

Things couldn't be worse for Sapphire as she raced through the forest in her attempt to escape the jaws of a ravenous wolf she had encroached upon accidently. She had been on the run all day; her father had berated her endlessly about how she was out with friends too much or out skating until she began to cry, leaving her home in hopes to clear her mind from the stress he laid upon her so unexpectedly. In her distress, she had fled to the place she considered a safe household; Gundham's home, but the ultimate breeder was absent to her disappointment despite the amount of times that she banged on the door. Her second option was the forest, the place she always went when her heart was broken or she needed to think. The ice was too thin to skate on recently, though she didn't have her skates with her since she left her residence so abruptly anyway.

So, she wandered, vision blurry from her limitless tears until the sun began to set. The amount of crying she had done wore her out, her head in pain with a throbbing headache, her eyes puffy and tired. With night approaching, she needed to return home for the sake of avoiding another conflict with her father due to her absence, but as she searched for her usual way home, she realized with great remorse that she had taken the beaten path through the forest and was certainly lost. She searched high and low for a way out, cringing when the moon lifted high into the sky before disappearing behind clouds that began to release powdery snow.

Her day could only be made worse when she stumbled upon a wolfs den, startling young pups inside and infuriating their mother for her trespassing. The moment she heard its furious snarl, Sapphire was running for her life.

The beast was relentless, it had been after her for many long minutes and she was completely exhausted, uncertain how much longer she could stay ahead. It was already nearly nipping at her heels, she could occasionally feel its warm breath hit the back of her leg, spurring her to run faster with every rush of adrenaline that shot through her. She began to search the trees, looking for a branch low enough to catch her and hold her weight. Her eyes locked onto a large low hanging branch, and she leapt, pulling herself up just before the jaws of the wolf clamped on her ankle. Sapphire clung to the tree branch, gasping for air as she watched the wolf tromp around the tree, barking and snarling at her territorially and jumping at her occasionally.

The branch creaked under her weight, it was a miracle that it sustained her the moment she had grabbed onto it, but it wouldn't be able to hold her forever. Sapphire prayed it would remain strong long enough for the wolf to give up and return to its den. It felt like hours, but after some time, the wolf snorted and reluctantly began to leave her with its hairs still raised.

Luck proved to be an evasive associate, however.

The branch finally snapped from beneath her and sent her plummeting to the snow-covered ground with an ungraceful thud. A groan escaped her lips as she pushed herself to her knees, gasping when she noticed the wolf staring her down once more. She felt her body quiver with fear, crawling backwards as the beast licked its lips, teeth gleaming. The second it charged, she shut her eyes with a shriek, and she waited for pain to bloom somewhere over her body wherever the wolf would clamp its teeth unforgivingly.

But… it never happened.

Perplexed, her eyes nervously opened, widening at the sight that laid before her. A single name tumbled from her lips.

"G-Gundham?"

His back was to her, but she didn't miss the speckles of blood dotting the snow around him. The wolf was latched onto his wrapped arm, teeth piercing him deeper than any of the Four Dark Devas could have managed. His manifestation was unexpected, there was no way he could have known she was in trouble, not even if she was bound to him by contract. She could hear him groaning with pain each time the beast bit harder, but he was somehow chuckling too, whispering to the feverish wolf. He dropped to his knees slowly, leveling himself with the wolf. His words were faint, but she could hear them enough to know he was trying to appease the beast with his soothing animal talk.

"There there…" If she could see him, she would have guessed he had a small smile on his face as he worked to quell the wolf. "Oh, fanged beast of the moon… your vehemence toward the Queen of Ice is acceptable. Her presence is intolerable after the untimely fall of your mate… However… be that as it may, she is bound to me, her life is mine to protect… I cannot allow you to eradicate her."

Sapphire saw the Four Dark Devas of Destruction poke their heads out, Cham-P and San-D regarding her while Maga-Z and Jum-P bravely approached the wolf on Gundham's arms, halting halfway when Gundham flinched at the wolf biting down harder.

"Gundham…" Sapphire was at a loss, unsure what she could do to help him.

There was a brief passing silence, filled only with the growls of the wolf as an intense stare down occurred between the two. If she listened close enough, Sapphire could hear Gundham's blood drip onto the snow consistently. She contemplated trying something, anything, to help him, but nothing could push aside the fear and shock surging through her mind.

It seemed to be an endless stand-off between the two, when the wolf began to whine. The raised hairs began to lower, tail slowly tucking between its legs. It suddenly backed away, releasing Gundham's arm, and lowering its ears as it whimpered remorsefully, pacing back and forth in front of the wounded male. He had somehow managed to calm it down, and it seemed to be regretting its rage.

"Good girl… Return to your pups now." Gundham commanded softly. "Protect them with your life."

The wolf lowered its head, sniffing the bloodied ground. It carefully moved to Gundham, licking at his wound with another apologetic whine, before turning away and running back into the forest with its tail tucked between its legs. With her previous threat gone, Sapphire frantically crawled to Gundham's side, gasping the moment her eyes locked onto his arm. The white wrappings were soaked crimson, a line of deep teeth marks puncturing his flesh. Her hand reached for his, but stopped halfway, closing into a shaking fist.

"I'm sorry…" Sapphire felt fresh tears fall over her cheeks as she regarded the male somberly. "I'm so sorry, Gundham…"

"What reason is there to apologize?" huffed Gundham, setting his own hand over the wounds to try and stop the bleeding. "Your actions are forgivable. You knew not of the suffering that fanged beast was experiencing."

"H-how did you know I was in trouble?" She asked. "How did you know I needed help?"

"You disturbed the Four Dark Devas of Destruction's slumber with your raucous knocking." Gundham explained as he climbed to his feet slowly. At their mentioning, his loyal hamsters looked over him, their eyes lifting to his face with gentle peeps of concern. "Do not worry about me, my devas. I will be fine."

Sapphire joined him in standing, wiping at her tears. She reached out to his bloodied arm, grasping it tenderly despite his recoil from her approach. His eyes narrowed on her, aware that she was only helping to cease the bleeding as much as she could.

"Let me help you bandage those wounds…" She insisted, quickly adding in, "You can't tell me that I can't. I caused this…"

Gundham frowned at her additional input, but he allowed her to join him on his return home to treat himself. She did most of the work; removing his old wrappings, tending to each gouge individually, then wrapping the arm with new dressings. His arm had already taken a beating from every time he prevented a gruesome battle between his devas, and it was obvious that he had used it as a shield more than once in many different situations based on the number of scars there were scattered over the skin.

The wind and snow had picked up in the time that she cared for him, a mild blizzard whirling around the outside. Sapphire had braced herself to leave, when Gundham grabbed her by the wrist.

"You cannot possibly believe that you shall be returning home in this icy storm?" He reprimanded. "While you may be the Queen of the Ice, you will still suffer the wrath of the frost and freeze out there."

"I have to go home Gundham." Sapphire sighed. "My father will surely shout at me again as it is. I've been gone all day."

"Don't be a fool." He hissed. "You may… rest here until the storm passes. It is… my thanks for treating my wounds."

His brief hesitation was hard to miss, but the rosiness building in his cheeks was even harder to miss as he quickly released her arm. She didn't wish to intrude on his home longer than necessary, but he had a point. There was no way she could make it back safely in the snowstorm. Sapphire softly smiled at him, choosing to move past him so she could visit with Cham-P who nibbled viciously on a sunflower seed, when she paused at his side.

"Gundham… you really are a kind person."

Her face neared him swiftly, planting a timid kiss to his cheek. He stiffened, his entire face turning a cherry red before he excused himself and locked himself away in the bathroom for a long time. Sapphire swore she could hear his four dark devas laughing at his embarrassment, but she found herself wishing she could run home even more than before.


	5. Enchantress

To be able to walk through the town with Gundham required a persistent amount of pleading and arm tugging on Sapphire's part until he gave in and accepted the fate he couldn't avoid so long as he knew her. He reluctantly allowed her to drag him around, scarf over his nose defiantly, keeping his mouth shut the entire shopping trip, acknowledging her with nods or head shakes when she spoke to him. She didn't mind, because if he wasn't speaking, he couldn't refuse her when she dragged him into a silly store with his guileless violent head shakes. Her grin was wide for the many hours they scavenged about.

Gundham endured the day to his best ability, though it was obvious he and his devas were suffering after a certain point. Sapphire figured it was after they left the pet store, he looked on the verge of tears after seeing all the pets stare back at him with large eyes in their small abodes. Somehow, he still didn't say a word.

The final store they entered by sunset was her favorite candy shop. Gundham shuddered the instant his nose picked up the sickeningly sweet scent that lingered in the entire store from the moment the door was cracked open. His stomach clenched with nausea, how could anyone stand to remain in such a place longer than three seconds? He gave Sapphire an exasperated look, and she smiled at him, pulling him by the wrist. Did she _know_ that he had sworn an oath of silence to himself since he gave in to her pitiful pleas, believing it would discourage her a quarter of the way through the day? She was a tenacious woman, an enchantress in disguise… A part of him started to believe with all his heart that she was doing this on purpose.

"Hey Gundham, look!" He cringed at her voice, worried that she was about to shove something into his mouth. "They have my favorite treat!"

Hearing the mentioning of a treat, the Four Dark Devas scurried about in his scarf, poking their heads out with intrigue, but trembling the moment they were completely exposed to the sugary horror that was the candy store. They withered back into his clothes, letting out strained squeals of horror. Gundham reached into his scarf frantically, searching for pulses on each hamster to be sure they didn't suffer a heart attack. He made a mental note to check on their blood sugar levels after this ridiculous suffering.

Sapphire's favorite sweet treat that she had mentioned was contained in a small rectangular red box. Gundham stared at her, viewing the box briefly and recognizing the brand as Pocky. He had never had it personally, but he had seen some fellow students at Hope's Peak consume it at lunch. Squinting at her, somewhat bitter that she had got his devas hopes up for a treat only to writhe at the intense stench of sickening sweet sugar, Gundham turned to make his leave. She must have pitied him, because she allowed him to escape her for once.

He gulped down the fresh air of the outside, questioning his state of mind after experiencing such a horrendous moment of diabetic inducing stench.

"She's trying to kill us, isn't she?" Gundham addressed his devas as they slowly regained their senses, pawing around him once more. "My body is already inflicted with poison, but that was just as horrendously intoxicating!"

Maga-Z chirped in response, crawling over his chest before nestling down to rest. Gundham longed to return home, but he wasn't so cruel to just abandon Sapphire. He leaned against a wall, crossing his arms as he waited for the ultimate ice skater to exit the premise after a few minutes, a bag in her hand. She scurried up to him, and he was rather surprised to see worry in her eyes.

"Are the devas alright?" She asked. "They seemed a little sick back there."

He blinked, surprised. So, she _had_ noticed their discomfort, even when they briefly showed themselves to the world. After all the time she had spent with him, she had finally gained the ability to comprehend their state of minds in a matter of seconds that she had the chance to see them? Impressive.

"They are not so easily defeated by sickly scents." Gundham reassured her. "Do not underestimate them."

"Ah! You finally spoke to me!" Sapphire beamed excitedly. "Thank goodness, I was worried you were upset with me or something!"

Gundham cursed to himself. She tricked him into speaking by showing concern to his loyal devas! One moment he would believe he was one step ahead of her, but she was always two steps faster.

"You... are certainly a sorceress, Queen of the Ice." He huffed irritably. "How dare you manage to make me break my vow of silence."

"Is that what it was?" She had to be playing the fool now. "Well, that's silly. If you really didn't want to go shopping with me, you didn't have to. I just wanted some company."

Unbelievable! All he had to do to escape this entire day was insist the very issues he used to claim as a child to avoid others!? Now he was disappointed in his weak will. What on earth had she done to break him apart mentally? He turned and began to stalk away, unwilling to even look Sapphire's way anymore. Perhaps it was her eyes that tore apart his ability to fight her off. Those dark pools of majestic crystal gems could absorb anyone!

Yet, she only laughed, walking at his side like she was unfazed by his cold shoulder. He was even more bewildered when San-D crawled onto his shoulder and requested her attention. How could one of his devas still be enraptured by the very person that nearly suffocated them in a sweet hell? Absolutely nothing made sense to him anymore.

* * *

Sapphire giggled as the so-called vicious Cerberus pawed at her nose, down on the floor to reach its height since it was honestly only a fluffy Pomeranian. Each and every one of Gundham's animals enjoyed her presence after she had known them for months and helped care for them occasionally as well. It was around this time that she came to realize just how much she liked to be around Gundham, even when he was pouting in the corner because he could not comprehend what on earth she had done to his willpower.

It was also the day she happened to look directly at him as his heterochromatic eyes met hers, and she wondered why anytime he looked her way, her heart began to beat a little faster.

Once the Cerberus, as Gundham called it, grew tired and walked away, Sapphire decided to eat one of her Pocky packets that she had bought hours ago. She ate them far too quickly for her sake, so she rarely purchased them to keep herself from eating two packets a day. The first two sticks didn't stand a chance as she chomped into them, scarfing them down reminiscently with a trill of elation as the chocolatey stick graced her taste buds. Her squeal certainly gained attention from the Four Dark Devas and Gundham, who seemed initially startled by her outburst before returning to his unnecessary brooding.

Sapphire grinned, watching as the devas titled their head at her treat then at her. "I doubt you can have some of these, dear devas." They seemed disappointed until she reached into her purse and pulled out a small bag of pumpkin seeds. Gundham had instructed her how to properly prepare them for the four hamsters, and she had worked on them a few nights ago meticulously. "But you can have these seeds. I roasted and peeled them, just for you four."

She offered each one a seed and they stood in place, eagerly gnawing away. Her fingers grabbed another Pocky stick and she proceeded to nibble on the treat similarly. In her opinion, it took too long to get through the single stick.

"You need not mock their eating patterns." rumbled Gundham, eyeing her yet again from where he stood. He wasn't doing very good in regards of trying to avoid her. "If you had two pairs of incisors to consume your food, you too would consider chewing thoroughly to prevent yourself from choking."

"I'm not mocking them at all," Sapphire huffed with a soft laugh. "I wanted to see what it was like to chew with only my front teeth."

"Ah, so you were educating yourself!" Gundham praised her. "That's rather thoughtful of you to consider their struggles on a daily basis! They do not have our capabilities in feasting, it is important to understand other beasts in this regard!"

Sapphire shook her head, when an idea popped into her head. She had only heard of such a thing twice before, but it embarrassed her to think about now. Some people had called it the Pocky challenge. Others regarded to it as a playful game of chicken for two people that may have liked each other. While she was aware of her new feelings to the ultimate breeder, she had her doubts.

Still… it wouldn't be a sin to try. Would it?

Sapphire took a deep breath, offering a Pocky stick to the boisterous male, "Would you like to try one?"

He fell silent, eyeing the stick of sweetness apprehensively for a short while. Perhaps he was having terrible flashes of memory when he nearly suffocated in the candy store, or maybe it reminded him of something his mother once begged him to eat despite his reluctance. Sapphire remembered when he confessed that story, insisting her food was poisonous to him, thus flowed endlessly through his veins. However, for his mother's happiness, he would eat her terrible cooking, and even if he sounded bitter about it, Sapphire had to believe that he was just looking out for his mother as much as she desperately looked out for him.

Eventually, he approached her and took the Pocky stick, eyeing it meticulously before slowly biting into it. There wasn't much of a reaction from him, but when he finished the treat, he stayed close to her, kneeling to his precious devas of destruction. She didn't miss his small grin as he witnessed the delight in their tiny eyes feasting on pumpkin seeds.

"Not bad." He commented suddenly. "If my Four Dark Devas continue to feast on your work, then you made them correctly."

"That's good." Sapphire nearly sighed in relief. "I was… worried that I might have messed up."

She grabbed another Pocky stick, hands beginning to tremble with nerves. At this rate, Gundham would think she had spiked the food, and she wasn't even sure if he liked it or not. Taking a deep breath, she mentally prepared herself.

"Would you… like another one?" She asked timidly.

He looked her way, somewhat intrigued, but ultimately withdrawn, "…Yeah."

It was now or never. The moment his attention returned to his devas, she set the bare part of the Pocky between her lips and shut her eyes tightly, shifting her body so she sat on her knees. She could imagine his hand extending to accept one, but he would have to notice the delay eventually. Hopefully he would understand her intentions.

His body shifted, he had finally notice based on the stuttering grunt he gave out. Sapphire wished she could see his expression, unwilling to open her eyes. Was he angry? Was he mortified? It sounded like he wanted to say something, but he couldn't get a single word past his lips as he fumbled. Her face felt hot, heart pounding against her chest.

 _Please just say something already…_

Then she felt his hand grab her by the arm tightly, jerking her forward slightly. His action startled her, eyes shooting open to see his beet red face as he stared at her, other hand pulling nervously at his scarf. There was nothing confident about him, nothing composed or seemingly prepared like her usually was. He was just as tense as she was, but he understood what she wanted him to do.

"K-keep your eyes shut, you enchantress!" He hissed frantically. "I won't… be hypnotized by those jewels of cerulean!"

She closed her eyes instantly, nearly breaking the stick in her lips from her frenetic actions. His other hand gripped her arm as well, and she prayed that he would just get everything over with already, uncertain if she could blush any harder than she was. The Four Dark Devas of Destruction ceased their chewing, and she could almost feel their stares, even if they likely didn't understand what was happening.

There was a light chomp, the Pocky stick budging in her mouth as Gundham carefully neared her face little by little. Her shoulders tensed unconsciously, likely because his hands began to squeeze her harder the closer he got to her. She could hear his breathing soon, risking a peek of his face by cracking her eyes open. If her face could get any redder, it certainly did, because he was staring right at her with a contorted expression of confusion and nerves. She could have ruined it, his nose was nearly touching hers, and he looked about ready to yell at her for daring to open her eyes when he told her to shut them.

But he never did.

Gundham just chewed what was in his mouth, before he tugged her forward again, this time with more force. She bit into the stick, eyes widening as his lips touched hers. He was slightly more focused on breaking the Pocky than kissing her, but his attempt was genuine based on how he puckered his lips ever so slightly.

It only lasted for a few seconds before he pulled away, releasing her arms and burying his face into his scarf to hide the burning crimson that smothered him, but Sapphire began to wish that she had her own scarf to hide in. Her embarrassment was too much to handle as she resorted to escaping his home the moment he was concealed completely.

As soon as she threw herself onto her own bed, a smiling fool the entire time she raced home, she fell asleep wondering if Gundham felt the same way.


End file.
